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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28801536">I Heard A Rumor...</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAMS/pseuds/TUA'>TUA (IAMS)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>And they love him too, Blood and Injury, Crying, Family Feels, Five loves his family so much, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injured!Five, Rumors, Stabbing, even if he doesn't know it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:35:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,255</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28801536</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAMS/pseuds/TUA</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Allisons eyes go wide as her mouth begins to move without her permission and out come the words, “I heard a rumor you killed your brothers and sisters.” </p><p>They watch with dawning horror as Fives eyes roll to the back of his head and turn an off shade of blue...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Number Five | The Boy (Umbrella Academy) &amp; Everyone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>273</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Heard A Rumor...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="">
  <p> </p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="">
    <p>They land back in 2019, which is a relief, of course, until it’s not. </p>
  </div>
  <div class="">
    <p>“What the fuck even <em>is</em> the Sparrow Academy?” Diego grouses. “Lame ass bird fucks.” he chucks one of his knives across the cramped motel room they’re currently occupying and watches it get lodged firmly into the tacky wallpaper. </p>
  </div>
  <div class="">
    <p>Allison grabs the second knife Diego’s about to fling out of his hand and glares daggers at her brother. “We’re staying here for <em>free</em>, because<em> I</em> rumored the motel staff into not noticing we exist, so maybe don’t wreck the place?” </p>
  </div>
  <div class="">
    <p>Luther nods in agreement. “Allison’s right, we need to be as inconspicuous as possible right now.” </p>
  </div>
  <div class="">
    <p>Diego rolls his eyes. “Whatever. So Five, now what?” the siblings all go to turn to Five for the answers they’re so desperately seeking, only to be met with the sight of the pseudo thirteen year old laid curled up on one of the beds, sound asleep. </p>
  </div>
  <div class="">
    <p>Luther frowns. “How in the hell can he seriously sleep at a time like this?” </p>
  </div>
  <div class="">
    <p>Allison leans over Fives still form and not so gently shakes his shoulder, jarring him awake. She feels a little guilt upon seeing the initially panicked look on his face as he comes to awareness once again, but damn it, she just wants to see her kid again, is that too much to ask? </p>
  </div>
  <div class="">
    <p>“We need to figure out a way to get back to our timeline.” she tells him, arms folded over her chest.</p>
  </div>
  <div class="">
    <p>Five scratches the sleep from his eyes, unaware he’d even passed out in the first place, wincing as he sits up fully on the mattress. “This <em>is</em> our timeline.” he informs all of them, his voice coming out scratchy and thin. God, he’s exhausted. And practically everything aches. </p>
  </div>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“What do you mean?” Klaus shakes his head. “In our timeline Ben is very much dead-not some weird emo douche who flocks with a crew of birds-so please do explain how the actual hell this makes any sense.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Five sighs, “We changed the linear time of events and the order in which they were supposed to originally occur when we were in the sixties and now <em>this</em> is, for all intents and purposes, our timeline.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Screw that. We need to reestablish our <em>actual</em> timeline.” Allison counters. “I’m not staying in this weird alternate bullshit dimension any longer than we have to-we still have the suitcase, right? Let’s go back to the sixties and fix what we broke. Easy.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Five looks at her like she’s lost her mind. Which, she very well may have, he thinks briefly. “Look, I know you want to see Claire again, but you need to consider-”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“No.” Allison interrupts angrily, tears starting to fill her eyes. “You don’t understand at all. How the hell could you? You haven’t had anyone for years, but me? I’ve had people, people I <em>care</em> about-which might be a foreign concept to someone like you, but-” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Right,” Five cuts her off in turn, unwilling to linger on the sting her words have caused. “I just need time to-” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><em>“Time? Haven’t you had enough of that, already?” </em>Suddenly the room is engulfed in complete and utter darkness and the Hargreeves go into high alert, trying to figure out where the hell that voice is coming from. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Could it be one of the Sparrow Academy heroes? Could they have followed them to the outskirts of town? </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Show yourself, you coward!” Diego shouts, knives at the ready to attack their intruder. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>A flash of thunder illuminates the room for only a split second before the lights come back on and the Hargreeves find themselves frozen in place, unable to move even a muscle, try as they might. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Save for one: Five. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“What the hell...” he mutters, as he watches his siblings struggle to try and move from their positions. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><em>“Now, Allison.” </em>that same disturbing voice commands. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Allisons eyes go wide as her mouth begins to move without her permission and out come the words, “I heard a rumor you killed your brothers and sisters.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>They watch with dawning horror as Fives eyes roll to the back of his head and turn an off shade of blue before he seamlessly plucks Diegos knife from where it was embedded in the wall earlier and faces his family, where they stand, helpless. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Shit!” Diego curses, trying in vain to move even a single digit. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Vanya tries to conjure her own powers but finds that she can’t for some reason. “Five...” she calls out, knowing it’s futile. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Five blinks over to Klaus first, who yelps in surprise, he barely has time to beg Five to reconsider when Five brings the knife down-</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>There’s boisterous screaming and panicked yelling and general chaos and Klaus is so sure this is it, that Five has plunged the knife straight into his heart and done away with him, until he opens his eyes and realizes nothing is protruding out of him...</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Instead, Five has <em>thrust</em> the knife into his own leg. He’s breathing hard, his trembling fingers still hovering over the hilt of the weapon. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The disembodied voice booms, <em>“Allison!” </em></p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>And Allison curses, but she can’t stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. “I heard a rumor you stabbed me in the jugular.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Fives eyes go pale blue for a second time and without even flinching he takes the knife out of his upper thigh and blinks so that he’s facing Allison this time. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>They can all see him struggling, perspiring, fighting against the rumor as he brandishes the knife in one hand, raising it up above his head slowly. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Allison tries to let out another rumor, a contradicting rumor, perhaps, the way she had done when Five had been in front of Klaus, but again, the words get stuck in her throat. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Whatever being is in the room is in total control of her powers... </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Allison feels something collide with her neck but it’s not the sharp sting of a knife she’s expecting. It’s Five’s forearm against her, protecting her from his own attack as he shoves the knife directly into his flesh. He’s panting now, with the force that it’s taken him not to obey her mind control. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p><em>“Kill them.”</em> the voice demands angrily. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Fuck you.” Five bites out through clenched teeth. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>As if those were the magic words, the voice departs and the Hargreeves can feel their limbs and move about once again, the tense atmosphere dissipating. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Holy shit!” Klaus gasps out, “What the fuck, <em>Jesus</em>!” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Five grunts as he removes the knife from his forearm and wields it threateningly. “<em>Allison</em>,” he practically begs, his voice strained. “Unrumor me. Now.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Allison is more than happy to comply, hurriedly saying, “I heard a rumor you didn’t want us dead.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The knife clatters as it hits the floor and Five collapses next to it a second later, exhausted and hurting something awful. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Shit,” Diego grabs a bunch of hand towels from the bathroom and kneels down. “We gotta stop the bleeding.” He presses two towels against the stab wound on Fives forearm and Vanya grabs the rest to press against the one on his thigh. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Five tenses up beneath them, his face scrunching up in pain. “Fuck!” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“I saw a first aid kit in the lobby by the front desk, I’ll go get it!” Allison calls out, already halfway out the door in her haste. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Should we move him to the bed?” Luther asks, hovering over his siblings, concern and anxiety eating away at him. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Diego curses. The hand towels are <em>drenched</em> in blood already. They need to stop the bleeding and soon, or else. “Elevate his leg.” he orders, letting Luther help Vanya try to stem the bleeding there. “Klaus, go get more towels from one of the maids if you can.” Klaus scurries to obey while the others continue to put pressure on Fives multiple injuries. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Klaus and Allison arrive back at the motel room almost simultaneously, one with a stack of clean towels in their arms and the other with a giant red box in hand. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>With the extra towels and the supplies from the medical kit, they’re somehow able to stop the bleeding long enough to move Five up to the bed. Luther’s extremely gentle as he transfers him from one spot to the other. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>When it’s time to stitch him up, Vanya and Klaus volunteer to do it. Five is too exhausted, both mentally and physically to pretend to be stoic about any of this. He throws his good arm across his face, shielding his eyes from the light. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“What do you guys think that was?” Luther asks the room at large, when the silence stretches on too long. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Klaus doesn’t look up from where he’s threading his needle on Fives thigh, replying dryly. “Yet another person place or thing that wants us dead?” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Diego scoffs. “It’s gotta be one of those Sparrow fuckheads. Who the hell else? I bet it was that goddamn cube-I still can’t believe dad adopted a fucking <em>cube</em>-Christ.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Whatever it was, it was in control of my powers.” Allison frowns deeply. “When I tried to unrumor Five nothing came out-even when I tried rumoring one of you into being able to move again, so that at least we would stand a fighting chance against our little serial killer over here, <em>nothing</em>.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Vanya nods, “Same here. I tried to use my powers but it was like there was some kind of a block or something? Like when I was still taking those prescription pills.” She looks at Fives pale face-what she can see of it, from underneath his forearm-and risks the question, “Five, how did you manage not to....you know...?” As someone who’s had first hand experience being unwillingly rumored by their sister, she knows it’s not something one can easily brush off. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Quite frankly, it’s a miracle they’re all still breathing... </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Yeah, I thought for sure we were dead.” Diego walks over and playfully ruffles the top of Fives messy hair. “Good job not making yourself an only child.” he jokes, freezing entirely when in response to his teasing Five lets out what can only be described as a faint whimper. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Five?” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“I almost <em>killed</em> everyone.” Five struggles to get the full sentence out, his breath hitching. “<em>Fuck</em>.” he curses, unable to stifle a sob. It’s a pathetically sad little noise, but it brings the rest of his siblings to his side immediately. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Hey,” Allison kneels down beside the bed and places a careful hand on his knee. She feels him flinch underneath her. “You resisted my rumor-<em>twice</em>. Do you know how rare that is? You saved us.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Five scrubs his face with the sleeve of his white button up shirt and finally uncovers his eyes. They’re red and puffy from crying, eyelashes wet with his tears. “I don’t want to be alone anymore.” he admits brokenly. “I can’t lose you guys again.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Shit Five,” Diego leans down and briefly touches their foreheads together, the palm of his hand cupping Fives head. “You’re not alone, we’re right here. Not going anywhere.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Vanya nods determinedly. “That’s right. You’re stuck with us.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Luther towers over the group with a faint but genuine smile. “You know, I always figured you loved us, but I guess I didn’t realize the extent until today.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Five sniffles, wiping away more tears he can’t seem to stop from coming. “I would trade you all up for a decent cup of coffee.” he lies, feeling more exposed than he has in literal years. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Klaus smirks. “Nuh uh, no take backs, Fivey. You <em>loooooove</em> us.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Five rolls his eyes but it doesn’t have quite the same effect it normally would, considering the fact that he is still very much crying. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Allison clears her throat, squeezes his knee again, this time to get his attention, and says, “And <em>we</em> love <em>you</em>. I’d ask if you know that, but honestly I think the answer would make me too sad.” she sighs. “Five, I’m really sorry about what I said before-I was taking all my frustrations out on you and I spoke carelessly, without thinking.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Five shakes his head, overwhelmed. “It’s ok.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“It’s not.” Allison insists. “Five, I don’t know if anyone’s said this yet, but I think it’s long overdue. I’m <em>so happy</em> to see you again. I missed you, you know. A ton.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Five didn’t think he was childish enough to still need to hear such silly sentimental things. He’s not the type, he’s tried to convince himself. It’s not as though he was expecting some big tearful family reunion upon his arrival, after all. So he wasn’t crushed or anything when his return was met with little more than perhaps confused contemptment. He had things to do, apocalypses to stop and all that jazz. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>That’s what he told himself, of course. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>But it doesn’t ring very true now, not when he can’t help but let out another sob. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He’s too old for this, he thinks, as Diego pulls him gently to his side and Allison grabs hold of his hand. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He doesn’t <em>need</em> them to love him back, he thinks, as Klaus finishes taping up his wound with a tenderness only reserved for those he loves, as Vanya wraps gauze around his forearm with care. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He’s been fine all this time, he thinks, even as Luther says, “Good to have you back, Five.” </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>It’s good to be back, he thinks, turning his head so that it’s buried against Diego’s shoulder when he lets out another sob. </p>
</div><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! :) </p><p>Originally posted on tumblr: mynumberfivethings</p></blockquote></div></div>
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